Improved electro-magnetic burglar and fire alarm



Patented July 14, 1868.

UNITE STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. GU'ESTLOF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED ELECTRO-M'AGNETiC BURGLARA-ND FIRE ALARM.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 79,973, dated July 14,1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GUEST, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings.and State of New York, have invented and made a certain new and usefulImprovement in Fire and Burt glarAlarms; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saidinvention, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making part ofthis specification, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation of the magnets andbell. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a section of the thermalcircuit-closer. Fig. 4 is an elevation, and Fig. 5 a section, of thedesignating and disconnectingapparatus. Fig. 6 is a section of thecircuit-closer that is connected with a window, to close the circuitwhen said window is opened, Fig. 7 is a section of the circuit-closerthat is employdwith adoor or other swinging article.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts. I

This apparatus is arranged upon the generially-known plan of giving analarm by a bell whenever the-circuit of a galvanic battery is closed bythe movement of any device that should remain stationary, thus giving analarm and indicating that some portion of the apparatus is not in anormal condition.

,I will first describe my alarm-bell, which consists in two magnets, aand b, with two armatures, c and d, ouone lever, c, that is hung,

.to oscillate, and is connected with the hammer f that strikes the bellg. 'h and t are springs to the adjustable circuit-closers k and Z.

By reference to the lines i n Fig. 2, indicating the wires of theelectrical circuit, it will be seen that when the electricity passesthrough the helix of the magnet a the attraction ofits armature willseparate and Z and break the circuit to itself, and at the same timeclose h and la, and causethe magnet b to attract its armature d, andthereby reverse the circuits, and this is done with .the utmostrapidity, causing the hammer to strike the bell, and that withoutdepending on springs to produce the reverse movement, as heretofore.

The lever e is suspended either by a spring, 6, as shownin Fig. 1, fromthe screw d, by which the positionof the armatures is adjusted, or saidlevere may be centered by screws a I in a yoke, b, that is adjustedvertically by the screw d, and the centering-screws a, passing throughslots in the frame 0', prevent lateral motion, so that the armatures arefree to vibrate, but cannot easily become displaced. .Fig. 9 .representsthis variation in the mode of hanging the 'arinaturcs.

The switch 0 when standing between the studs 2 and 3, causes the wholeapparatus to be inoperative. When upon the stud 2 the apparatus is inposition for use when either of hinged the circuit-closer m, that, in anormal condition, is sustained by the hook 5, but when the air in thebox m expands by the temperature of the apartment in which it isapplied, rising beyond a certain point, the head 4, being pressedoutwardly in its center, causes, the .closer m to unlatch, and it dropsupon the arm 6, to which one wire of the circuit is connected, whilethe'other is connected to thebox 111,} thus closing the circuit andringing the In Fig. 3 I have shown the box m and arm m movable, so thatthey may be adjusted by a screw, 7, to an y desired point, so that thealarm will be given at adefinite temperature, and 8 is a dialupon whichfigures may be marked to indicate at a fixed pointer, 9, the degree ofheat at which the apparatus will become operativ'e.

- In Fig. 8 I have shown the screw and pointer 9, as applied to the justthat instead of the box m.

The circuit-closer, which becomes a temperature or fire alarm, is to belocated in any desired part of a building. It is preferable that thesame be attached to the ceiling, as being in a position to be mostlikely to operate by changes of temperature.

The circuit-closer for a window, Fig. 6, is made of a hanging pendulum,n, upon a ful- 7, dial 8,

orum, 10, to which one wire of the battery isapplied. The upper end, 11,of this pendulum is a spring, and when the window-sash 0 is in itsnormal or closed position the pendulum it hangs freely in a notch in theside of the sash;

hook 5. to ad- 14 is a second spring insulated from the 1 plate p, but,for convenience,'connected thereupon, and to this the other battery-wireis connected.

The door w, acting against the pusher q upon the s ring 14, separatesthe springs 14 and 13 whenthe door is closed; but when it is opened thetwo springs come together and close the' circuit.

The designating and disconnecting apparatus (shown in Figs. 4 and 5)consists in a plate, 1 to which one of the battery-wires is connected.Through this plate there areas many holes as there are points to bedesignated by the connections of the battery, such as fire, window,door, or other sub-designations, and in each of these holes is placed ascrewstud, s, that is insulated from said plate by being smaller thanthe hole, so as not to touch it, and said stud receives its support fromthe wooden or other non-conducting base of the plate 1:

A wire from the diii'erent points to be designated leads to thedifferent studs 8, and on each stud is a nut t, and the button-head ofthe stud may be appropriately engraved or marked with the name required.

Ail the nuts t should be kept screwed upon the plate 1. If thealarm-bell rings, the attendant unscrews first one nut, t, and thenanother, until he arrives at the particular circuit that has been closedand is operative, which he knows by the separation of t and r, stoppingthe bell by breaking that particular circuit, and thus itis known whatpart of the premises requires attention.

In place of a metal air-box" the corrugated disk forming thecircuit-closer might be set in a wooden rim, and act by its expansion asthe thermal circuit-closer.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pair of m agnets and armaturesarranged and acting in the mannerspecified, in combination with a hammer and bell, the former beingattached to the lever of the armature, for the purposes, and as setforth.

' 2. An expansive corrugated disk andhinged arm forming a thermalcircuit-closer, substantially as set forth.

3. The adjusting-screw 7, in combination with the thermalcircuit-closer, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The pendulum and sprin g, in combina tion with the circuit-wires andnotched sash or slide to close the circuit, as specified.

.5. The two springs 13 14, connected with the circuit-wires, incombination with the pusher q, for the purposes, and as set forth.

6. The plate 1, screw-studs s, and nuts t, constructcd substantiaily asspecified, in combination with the circuit-wires,- to form a designating or disconnecting apparatus in a fire or burglar alarm, substantiallyas set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 28th day ofMarch A. D. 1868.

J. H. GUEST.

Witnesses CHAS. E. SMITH, Geo. D. WALKER.

